Low Input Lawn Care For the do-it-yourselfer

Creating Predictable Results

The first step to any lawn care program should be a soil test and site analysis. Test results provide information about the condition of your soil, and a site analysis will help give you an idea of where you need to go. Without these tools, predictable results are impossible.

Rainbow LawnCare offers free site analyses, and in depth, affordable soil tests. The soil test includes macro and micro nutrients, soil ph, and organic matter. Included is an explanation of the results, and recommendations. The University of Minnesota also offers a less comprehensive soil test.

Mowing

Proper mowing is essential to having healthy grass, and healthy grass is essential for reducing the number of weeds in your yard. Follow the short list of rules below, and you will help rid your lawn of weeds, and help your lawn stay healthy!

Never mow lower than 2 1/2 inches. Between 3 and 3 1/2 inches is optimal height for grass.

Do not take more than 1/3rd of the grass blade off at one time. If your lawn gets away from you, mow it a number of times separated by a few days each.

Keep your mower blade sharp. A sharp blade slices through grass, leaving a nice clean cut. A dull blade rips and bruises grass. These frayed, battered ends often turn brown at the edges, leaving your lawn looking patchy and unhealthy.

Leave the cut grass on the lawn. This is free fertilizer. The cut blades will recycle back into the soil in a few days, and your lawn will be happier for it.

Watering

Water infrequently and deeply. This encourages deep root development. Most lawns which are watered often, have roots which only average 2” deep. This is because the grass has become lazy. It has grown dependant on you for water. Proper watering will develop root systems which will help minimize weeds, increase your grass’ resistance to disease, and enable it to survive better with little extra watering.

The type of soil you have will effect the amount of water your lawn needs. Sandy soils will require more frequent watering than clay, because they do not hold water as well. The soil test you get as you begin on this adventure should tell you what your soil consistency is.

Factors such as the type of grass, the amount of natural rainfall, and mowing habits also effect the amount of water necessary for your lawn. It is important to remember that the amount of air in the soil is as important as the moisture—these must be kept in balance in order to have a healthy lawn.

If your lawn has been over watered, gradually wean the grass off of water. This is best done by decreasing the frequency and increasing the length of watering.

Fertilizer

Timing of fertilizer applications and understanding fertilizer amounts are key to having a healthy lawn. Improper fertilizing can lead to excessive run-off causing environmental problems—particularly with lakes and rivers. Fertilizer applied in the wrong amount or at the wrong time can also “burn” your grass, leaving it dried out and brown.

The best time to fertilize is in the fall. This fertilizer application helps your grass make it through the winter period of dormancy. If you only fertilize once per year, fall should be your time of choice. Other than fall, late spring and late summer are the other times when fertilizer applications are most beneficial.

We recommend that you use either 100% natural organic or natural organic-based fertilizers. They require a greater application per 1000 square feet, but are loaded with organic material and elements which are great for your soil. Some options include: Renaissance, Milorganite, and Ringer. Rainbow LawnCare, in partnership with Rainbow TreeCare is currently performing research to determine which 100% natural organic fertilizer gives the best results. We will know more in autumn 2008.

All commercially purchasable fertilizers will have an  N-P-K ratio listed on the packaging. N-P-K stands for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. These are the three major nutrients needed to grow plants.

Phosphorous is the “P” in the N-P-K ratio, and should generally be at zero. Use of phosphorous in lawn fertilizing is illegal in the entire state with the following exceptions: When starting a lawn from seed or sod, and/or if the results of a soil test indicate low phosphorous.

Nitrogen is the element which determines how much fertilizer you use. The average lawn requires 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet each year. In a healthy, functioning lawn this is partially supplied by lawn clippings, earth worm castings, and micro-organisms. Depending on your soil test, you may need more than these can supply. An experienced Rainbow Consultant can interpret your soil test results and determine how much nitrogen your lawn needs.

Organic Amendment

N, P, and K may be the major nutrients needed for growing plants, but a healthy, sustainable lawn requires more than just those three elements. Lawn health also improves with the addition of compost. Most lawns benefit from the yearly addition of 1/8 to 1/4 inch of composted plant matter. This filters quickly into your soil, and improves the organic matter content of your soil.

Aeration and Seeding

Aeration is hugely beneficial to your lawn. It reduces soil compaction, allowing for root growth, it enables grass seed to germinate more effectively, and it reduces thatch. We recommend at least a double pass aeration yearly. This yearly aeration should be done in the fall when it is less likely to foster the growth of annual weeds.

Seeding done in conjunction with aeration will introduce new varieties of grass into your lawn which have greater disease resistance and drought tolerance. This will also help fill in the thin areas where weeds often flourish.

Weed Control

A 100% weed free lawn is not realistic unless you are willing to coat your lawn with herbicides several times a year. In healthy turf a small number of weeds are to be expected. Periodic spot spraying with an herbicide which does NOT contain Dicamba is one way of ridding your yard of these weeds. Otherwise, hand pulling will keep your yard pesticide free.